Hortobágy Equestrian Days Present the Living Past with Special Programs

Hungary Today 2024.07.06.

Horse races, foal shows and numerous programs await the public between July 12 and 14 at the Hortobágy Equestrian Days in eastern Hungary, reports Turizmus.com.

At the heart of the event will be the first-ever Ménes Festival. Mátai Ménes (stud, herd of horses) has invited three stud farms, the stud farms of Mezőhegyes (southeastern Hungary), Bábolna (northern Hungary) and Szilvásvárad (northern Hungary), to present themselves at the event, announced László Papp, Mayor of Debrecen (eastern Hungary).

Photo via Facebook/Hortobágyi Lovasnapok

He pointed out that the event is being organized for the 56th time, and for the 10th year in cooperation with the Hortobágy non-profit Company for Nature Conservation and Gene Preservation Ltd. and the Hortobágy National Park Directorate.

Hortobágy has been the foundation of Debrecen’s economy and wealth for centuries.

This year the city is supporting the event with more than HUF 9 million (EUR 22,942), he added.

Photo via Facebook/Hortobágyi Lovasnapok

DKV Debrecen Public Transport Company Ltd. will run special services to the neighboring settlement on Saturday.

Bernadett Fülöp, managing director of the Hortobágy non-profit Company for Nature Conservation and Gene Preservation Ltd., noted that the foal championship will be held again this year, with the most exciting event being the flat race on Sunday. There will also be show jumping and carriage driving competitions, and a new addition to the events will be the “five-in-hand” show and the “ten-in-hand” show.

The “five-in-hand” show. Photo via Facebook/Hortobágyi Lovasnapok

The official opening will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with the program running until 9 p.m. that evening, although the show jumping competitions will start in the morning.

Photo via Facebook/Hortobágyi Lovasnapok

On Sunday, the preliminary rounds of the National Gallop will take place in Hortobágy, with the semi-finals starting at 10 a.m. and the final at 5 p.m. In parallel, there will be a number of activities for children, an exhibition and a craft street, among others. Bernadett Fülöp pointed out that

over 400 horses will be present during the event.

Photo via Facebook/Mátai Ménes

Gergely Medgyesi, Director of the Hortobágy National Park Directorate, presented the programs for children: in the “Bitang Garden” (Bitang kert) on the territory of the Directorate, there will be a folk dance show and dance hall, craft activities and puppet shows.

Fact

Hortobágy is an 800 square kilometer national park in eastern Hungary, rich with folklore and cultural history. The park, a part of the Great Plain, was designated as a national park in 1973 (the first in Hungary), and elected among the World Heritage Sites in 1999. The Hortobágy is Hungary’s largest protected area, and the largest semi-natural grassland in Europe. One of its most iconic sites is the Nine-holed Bridge. Part of the national park is a dark sky preserve.

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Via Turizmus.com; Featured image via Facebook/Hortobágy Lovasnapok